Al Duhail players taking part in a training session yesterday ahead of their 2020 FIFA Club World Cup match against Egypt's Al Ahly which will take place today. Pic: Twitter/DuhailSC
Al Duhail are set to enter a new territory, hoping for success in what is expected to be a bumpy ride for the Red Knights.
In their debut game at the FIFA Club World Cup today, the Qatari champions face one of the most experienced teams of the tournament – Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
A prize for victory in today’s second round clash, kicking off at 8:30pm at the Education City Stadium, is February 8’s semi-final spot against European champions Bayern Munich – arguably the best club of the world, nowadays.
But to achieve that, Al Duhail will have a mountain to club as they confront nine-time African champions, who are known as the most decorated club of the world with 139 trophies. Al Duhail have won plenty of trophies in Qatar but they are still aspiring to win continental titles.
The Qatari side is taking a lot of pride in representing the country in the elite tournament, hoping to leave mark in their first appearance.
“We have prepared well and the team is ready for match against strong Al Ahly side,” Al Duhail coach Sabri Lamouchi told a video conference yesterday.
“It’s a moment of pride of us as we are representing Qatar in this big tournament. Everyone is excited and looking to give good performance against tough opponents who have very good players,” the Frenchman added.
“We must avail opportunities to get good results in the match,” he added.
Almoez Ali, Qatar’s key striker, said Al Duhail are aiming to go farthest in the tournament.
“It is our first Club World Cup and we want to make it memorable with our performance,” Almoez said on the eve of the match.
“Our preparations for this tournament are good and our goal is to reach the farthest in the tournament. We are ready for the challenge,” he added.
Al Duhail game not easy: Al Ahly coach
While Al Duhail are looking to go deep in the tournament, Al Ahly, who achieved their best position with third spot in the 2006 edition, are upbeat of reaching a new milestone on their sixth appearance in the tournament.
Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane yesterday said winning the title is not an impossible task, saying defeating Bayern Munich is an astronomical challenge: “But anything is possible - Leicester City has showed you that anything is possible,” he said while recalling The Foxes’ Premier League title triumph in 2016.
“We have great confidence in ourselves and we aim to reach our maximum levels in the competition,” Mosimane said at a pre-match video conference yesterday.
“We have great determination and we will not leave the pitch unless we are totally satisfied with ourselves. We are keen to please our fans, as they always support us.”
Mosimane, however, said Al Ahly’s focus is on Al Duhail match, which is expected to draw good crowd support for both the teams.
“We respect Al Duhail a lot, as they have many good players and they managed to win QNB Stars League. Also, they will play at their homeland and among their fans, besides that, they have many good foreign players,” he said.
“The game will not be easy, but I have full confidence in my players and I promise our fans that we will do our best to meet their high expectations,” he added.
Al Ahly’s captain Mohamed El Shenawy said fans support will be the key for his sides opening game in the tournament.
“Our fans’ support and the spirit of Al Ahly will be our keys to defeating Al Duhail tomorrow. We are very excited to play again in front of the fans, and we are all determined to win the match and qualify for the second round,” El Shenawy said yesterday.
“We have great dreams and we are so happy and proud for participating in this elite competition. We are very keen to achieve good results in the competition.”
